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Archives for April 2011

1 Minute of Cleaning Now, Saves 5 Minutes Later

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Do you clean messes as they occur? A wet mess is easier to clean than a harden mess. If a glob of toothpaste falls on the bathroom counter, then the minute to stop and wipe it up while wet saves me 5 minutes of scrubbing later. If I were to wait until bedtime to address the sticky mess, it will be hard and require extra time and energy to scrub it clean. Here are some other messes that save me time by cleaning them now rather than later:

  • Boiled over pasta water on the stovetop
  • Heated spaghetti sauce in the microwave
  • Leftover food on dinner plates
  • Spilled milk in the refrigerator
  • Cups knocked over onto the carpet
  • Drips during a meal on the table/high chair
  • Fabric softener dribble on the washing machine

When I notice that these messes have occurred, I do my best to clean them up immediately. Though I want to clean up every mess quickly, I don’t always succeed since I may be in the middle of helping another child or just don’t know that the spill happened. When I find the mess, I try to clean it while it is wet. By doing so, I save myself lots of time and energy from scrubbing a baked-on or hardened mess.

Do you attempt to clean up spills and messes right away? By staying on top of spills, my home will be a cleaner place, I’ll save time and energy from having to scrub, and I can spend my time wisely with my family.

Credit Report: Disputing Errors

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Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Did you find any errors on your credit report? If not, then great! You can file your report away. But if you found errors, then locate the dispute form, the credit bureau’s website, or the bureau’s phone number.

I prefer to dispute in writing. I include a copy of my report with the problems clearly marked. I also fill out the dispute form entirely. If a section does not apply, then I draw a line through it. If there is not enough room on the dispute form, then I write out any remaining errors noting the specific incorrect information and replacing it with the correct information.

This process is time-consuming. First, I make copies of the report, the dispute form, and any additional documentation. Then I mail the forms to the credit bureau and wait for their investigation results. When the credit bureau has finished processing your disputes, they mail me a revised copy of my credit report. YOU ARE NOT CHARGED FOR THIS REPORT.

Once I receive the revised report, I start again. I review it for errors. If I find additional errors, then I get the dispute form, and write out the errors still reporting on my credit report.

Usually all discrepancies are cleared up after the second dispute submission. The key is to stay organized, follow directions, and be persistent. If I do not get complete reconciliation by the second request, then I would call the credit bureau and speak to a customer service representative.

TIP: Remember that your dispute appeal is time sensitive. You have 90 days from the date of issuance to dispute your information. Yes, 3 months seems like quite a bit of time, but if you procrastinate, you will miss the window to submit your dispute.

I am extremely persistent. I will not allow the credit bureau to continue to report incorrect information. This information may be needed sooner than I anticipate, so I want my information to be reported perfectly! I take great care to protect our identities, and I expect the credit bureaus, responsible for that information, to report it accurately!

10 Ways to Cut the Expense of Eating Out – Part 2 of 5

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In this series of 5 posts, I am sharing 10 ways to cut the expense of eating out. How nice it is to have the privilege of taking the family to a restaurant to be served without preparing or cleaning up. On busy days away from home, I am thankful for this choice.

In part 1, we covered option 1 and option 2. Today, let’s consider Kids eat free and lunch vs. dinner suggestions to help us feed our families without over-extending our food budgets.

OPTION 3:      Take advantage of KIDS EAT FREE nights.

Many restaurants offer periods of time where kids eat free. Many times the establishment will advertise on a marquee, through print material, or on their website. Here are some ways to find when kids eat free:

  • Ask other parents.
  • Check www.mykidseatfree.com. You can search by state and then by city to find the promotions. This site is great to use when you are planning your vacation. You can plan a busy day when a favorite restaurant has a kids eat free promotion.
  • Consult your local newspaper.
  • Subscribe to online newsletters, mobile/text, or e-mail notifications to your favorite restaurants.
  • Visit the restaurant’s website.

In our area of the southeast, the following restaurants participate in kids eat free promotions:

  • Atlanta Bread Company – every day from 4:00-7:00 p.m.
  • Chick-fil-A – Wednesdays
  • Denny’s – Tuesday and Saturdays from 4:00 – 10:00 p.m.
  • Firehouse Subs – Sundays and Wednesdays
  • IHOP – everyday from 4:00-7:00 p.m.
  • Moe’s Southwest Grill – Tuesdays after 4:00 p.m.
  • Steak and Shake – Saturdays and Sundays

Most of the businesses have restrictions on these promotions (i.e. one free kid’s meal with the purchase of an adult meal). As businesses change their marketing strategies, these promotions can change quickly. If I am not sure if the promotion is still continuing, I will call ahead and ask before planning our evening out.

 

OPTION 4:      Consider eating out for lunch rather than dinner.

Some restaurants have a lunch menu that is less expensive than the dinner equivalent. If we have the option of eating out at lunch or dinner, our family considers the lunch option. Sometimes time constraints will not permit an hour lunch, but other times (like on the weekend), the lunch option works perfectly with our schedule. Our family enjoys the hibachi-style eating at a local Japanese restaurant. The lunch menu price is $8 to $10 per adult, but the dinner menu ranges from $12-$15. Thankfully, this restaurant offers the lunch menu on Sundays. A special treat for our family is visiting this Japanese restaurant, where we also use a coupon (buy one entrée and 2 drinks, and get one entrée free), for lunch on Sunday after worshipping together.

When we can combine savings options, like using a coupon and eating during the lunch hours, our family may be able to eat out an additional day during the week. I love to maximize my savings. Though we are always looking for ways to get the most of our hard earned dollars, we also give freely. We may not pay for the second entrée when using a coupon, but we tip on the total amount the bill should have been. Our server, if attentively and friendly, will enjoy waiting on our family of five since the tip is worth the extra effort.

As you spend time your family this season and may need to eat on the run, I hope you will find these options helpful as you stretch your dollars.

$4 Chick-Fil-A Family Lunch with Playtime to Boot

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On the way to pick up my son from school, my daughter kept asking if we could go to Zaxby’s and eat lunch with Daddy. I was surprised by my daughter’s request since we were not close to Zaxby’s when the pleading began. By the time we reached the school, the requesting was subsiding.

Upon entering the car and sitting in his booster seat, my son asked, “Can we go to Chick-Fil-A for lunch?” (I’m guessing that the cool, rainy weather brought on the wish for comfort food like chicken.) Since I needed to make a stop at the credit union which is close to Chick-Fil-A, I responded with, “We’ll see.”

After completing our business at the credit union, I searched my restaurant coupon file from the glove compartment to see if I could put a deal together for under $5. I found 2 coupons for buy a medium sweet tea, and get a 4-count chicken strip entrée. Knowing that I could work a deal for under $5, I announced that our next stop was Chick-Fil-A.

The kids were really excited. The rain had stopped as we pulled into the Chick-Fil-A parking lot. We quickly unloaded and entered the restaurant. Armed with my 2 coupons, we waited in line. At our turn, I handed the cashier my coupons. He confirmed that I wanted 2 sweet teas with each of the 4-piece chicken strips. (When a Chick-Fil-A coupon states a specific beverage (i.e. Sprite), most cashiers allow you to substitute for any comparable beverage.) The cost was 2 orders of chicken strips at $3.99 each for free and 2 teas at $1.49 each. I then ordered 4 buns: 3 toasted and 1 plain at $.15 each. My total with tax came to  . . . $3.87. (If I had purchased 4 chicken sandwiches, I would have spent over $10!)

The kids and I went to a table chosen by my daughter. The cashier brought our food to the table, and I begun to put our meal together.

  • I stopped by the condiment station and picked up a knife, napkins, mayonnaise, ketchup, and placemats.
  • I returned to the table and attached the placemats to each of the kids’ eating area. (I love these placemats. They work great, especially for the baby who is used to eating on the tray of her highchair.)
  • I took out a bun, added requested condiments, and 2 strips of chicken. Next I cut the sandwich in half and placed in front of my daughter. I then made my son’s sandwich, then the baby’s, and finally mine. I was able to make 4 great chicken sandwiches with the food purchased. My son and daughter shared a sweet tea, and the baby and I shared the other one.
  • After completing our meal, I cleaned up, and the kids went to play on the indoor playground.

When I returned home, I checked the receipt of my great restaurant deal. In addition to my purchase, my receipt had a survey invitation in the center section. After taking the survey on-line, I received a validation code which I can now redeem for a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich. I guess we will be planning another visit to Chick-Fil-A soon. Maybe this time Daddy will be able to come with us.

By thinking outside of the box, using some of the options presented in the 10 Ways to Cut the Expense of Eating Out series, and setting a budget, the kids and I gained nourishment and exercise for under $4 on a spontaneous family activity.

What creative ways have you used to save money on a spur-of-the-moment change of plans?